Tag:Green
Shipping Container Living Space
Credit: Urban Space Management (CONTAINER CITY) Ltd.
Brent Martin and I have had several discussions about using shipping containers as living space. Apparently someone beat us on the implementation. London-based developers Urban Space Management used shipping containers to create Container City, a 22-unit modular building. I read about it in the April issue of Multi-Family Executive. You can read the entire article by Linsey Isaacs on their site here. I also read an article recently where Ball State University was experimenting with the idea as housing in third world countries. Another million dollar idea lost to quicker minds…
Honeywell Thermostat
Last Thursday I went to a presentation put on by Honeywell and Mid-City Supply in Plymouth that discussed their latest advancements in programmable thermostats. I would hesitate to say that this is their answer to the Nest thermostat I talked about previously (here), since Honeywell was actually doing this first, but I think Nest and its advances and popularity are pushing them to be more innovative. They have reduced the size of their programmable stat, given it more color options and beefed up their internet connectivity.
The three main things that I think set the Honeywell system apart are as follows:
- They have a lot of module add-ons available. (Homeowner Accessory Flyer) They can tie together multiple thermostats, zone sensors, duct sensors, humidity sensors and outdoor sensors within the HVAC realm. In addition they are adding things like sump pump sensors which will make your thermostat more of a multi-function device.
- Their RedLINK system has its own wireless bandwidth that works in a 1/2 mile radius to tie the modules together. The advantage of this is the entire system becomes just one device on your wireless internet router reducing the load when Dad is playing video poker, Mom is watching a Netflix movie and Junior is playing a multi-player online game.
- There is a commercial option for this system, partially allowed by the flexibility listed above.
LED vs HID Wall Pack Fixture
I generally feel that upgrading electrical fixtures and devices to the newer energy-saving devices is the easiest green energy to justify. Great strides are being made in this area to the point that my average client can see savings with a short pay off time. This is often something that shows gains with a one-to-one swap of new for existing fixtures. Further gains can be achieved by designing around the new fixtures and adding energy-saving controls.
One of my supplier reps was in yesterday and shared the following analysis that he completed for one of his manufacturing clients who was considering upgrading their existing exterior wall pack lights from HID (High Intensity Discharge such as High Pressure Sodium or Metal Halide) to LED (Light Emitting Diode):
These are the wall pack security fixtures you see high on the wall around factories, warehouses or buildings with parking near their wall.
Fixture prices:
HID TWH400MTB w/lamp $218
LED TWHLED 30C 50K $450
At $0.08 energy rate, 10 hour/day, 365 days/year the energy savings is $102.79/year.
LED = In a ten year time frame you would spend $450 for the LED fixture and $305.80 for energy use.
HID = In a ten year time frame you would spend $218 for the HID fixture plus change the lamp four times and the ballast once. 2 hours labor times 4 times is 8 hours. The cost for the four lamps and the one ballast is $124.
Energy Saving ROI’s
Nest Thermostat
$249 at Amazon
A couple of weeks ago I discussed the Nest Thermostat. (See that article here.) One of the questions I have when I see something like this is whether there is return on investment (ROI) or in the case of green technology, is it Green That Saves Green?
According to Remodeling Magazine a programmable thermostat has a payoff in 1-10 years depending on the thermostat installed and the situation in which it will be used. I’ve included some bare bones excerpts here, but for the complete article, check out page 40 in the November 2012 issue of Remodeling Magazine here.
Programmable Thermostat – Materials: $50-$350, Labor: 1-3 hrs, Estimated ROI: <1yr – 10yr
Low Flow Faucets & Fixtures – Materials: $1-$500+, Labor: 15 min – 4 hrs, Estimated ROI: <1yr – 5yr
Tankless Water Heater – Materials: $1,500-$3.500, Labor: 4-8 hr, Estimated ROI: 5yr – 15yr
Air Sealing – Materials: $50-$6,000, Labor: 4-40 hrs, Estimated ROI: <1yr – 8yr
Insulation – Materials: $200-$10,000, Labor: 4-100 hrs, Estmated ROI: 5yr – 15yr
On Demand Circulation Pump – Materials: $50-$150, Labor: 4-6hrs, Estimated ROI: 1yr – 2yr+
* The labor estimates above do not include travel time.
Nest Thermostat
It’s pretty well known that an easy way to save energy (and money!) is to turn your thermostat down. To do this without being there, the choice has always been the programmable thermostat. These come in several varieties with the ultimate being a seven day programmable stat which allowed you to program different settings for weekdays and weekends. The problem has always been the programming. Even on the best of these units, it wasn’t easy.
The Nest Thermostat has eliminated the programming part of this equation by introducing a learning mode. Yes, it saves time and money by learning your household patterns and programming itself.
On top of the self-programming features, if you have a wireless network, the device can be accessed from the web through your computer or smart phone. Forgot to set it to vacation mode before you hit the road? No problem. Making a quick trip up to the cottage and want it warmed up or cooled off before you get there? Easy! Wake up in the middle of the night with that bad feeling about pipes freezing at the cottage? Log on and check it out!
Now in it’s second generation, the Nest thermostat is sleek and stylish. It doesn’t look like your typical thermostat and it catches your eye with it’s cobalt blue face and reflective metal surround. The second generation has added more compatibility with different types of heating and cooling systems, it has reduced the depth of its profile and it is still available for $249 at Amazon.com Not exactly a cheap device, but it does a lot!
Lennox offers their Icomfort Wi-Fi touchscreen thermostat which takes advantage of remote monitoring as well. It provides the accessibility, but not the learning functions or the accessibility to as many other heating and cooling systems available with the Nest. It’s not quite as stylish in my opinion. It is also more expensive, listed at $299 at Bonanza.com
In either case, in the long run, I think this is Green That Saves Green. If you aren’t using a programmable thermostat and by starting save $20 per month, you will have it paid off in a couple of years. From there on it is money back in your pocket.
